Palitana Temples (Shatrunjaya)

Overview

The Palitana temples are a complex of Jain temples covering Shatrunjaya hill near the town of Palitana in Gujarat, western India. Around 900 marble shrines and temples are grouped along the hill's ridges, the main one dedicated to Rishabhanatha, the first of the twenty-four Tirthankaras, the enlightened teachers of Jainism. Shatrunjaya is one of the most important pilgrimage destinations in Jainism, and pilgrims climb the stone stairway to its temples throughout the pilgrimage season.

Present

The Palitana temples are managed by the Anandji Kalyanji Trust, a Jain trust that has administered the site since 1730. The temples are active places of worship, and the ascent of Shatrunjaya hill is itself a religious act: many pilgrims climb barefoot, observe silence on the way, and fast until they have returned to the foot of the hill. No one stays on the hill overnight, not even priests, and the temples are closed during the four monsoon months, in line with the Jain practice of suspending travel in the rainy season to avoid harming the small creatures that emerge in the rains. The pilgrimage year resumes on Kartik Purnima, the full moon day of the month of Kartik (October to November), when large numbers of pilgrims make the first ascent of the season. In the town of Palitana the sale of meat, fish, and eggs is prohibited by law, in keeping with Jain values.

Religious Significance

Shatrunjaya hill is one of the most sacred places in Jainism, a religion of Indian origin whose central principle is nonviolence toward all living beings. Jain tradition holds that Rishabhanatha, the first Tirthankara, delivered his first sermon on the hill and visited it many times, and that his grandson Pundarika attained liberation there, the release from the cycle of rebirth that is the goal of Jain practice. The hill was earlier named Pundarikgiri after him. The name Shatrunjaya means place of victory over inner enemies, referring to the passions a pilgrim seeks to overcome. Because of these connections, Jains regard the pilgrimage to Shatrunjaya as an act of great spiritual merit, and many aspire to make the climb at least once in their lifetime. The site holds particular importance within the Shvetambara branch of Jainism, whose leading trust manages the temples. Devotional traditions include the Navanu, a practice of repeated ascents of the hill over an extended stay, and the Chha Gau Yatra, an annual circumambulation of the hill performed in the month of Phagun (February to March).

History & Structure

The Palitana temples were built over roughly 900 years, beginning in the 11th century CE, through donations from Jain merchants and communities. The early temples were destroyed in 1311 by the armies of the Delhi Sultanate, a Muslim empire based in northern India, and most of the temples standing today date from the 16th century onward. In 1656 the Mughal governor of Gujarat granted the site to Shantidas Jhaveri, a Jain merchant and community leader, and in 1730 the management of the temples passed to the Anandji Kalyanji Trust. Around 900 shrines and temples of white marble are grouped in nine walled enclosures, called Tuks, along the ridges of Shatrunjaya's two summits, which rise about 600 meters above sea level. The main temple, dedicated to Rishabhanatha and known as the Adinatha temple, is located at the highest point of the northern ridge. A stone stairway of about 3,800 steps climbs some 3.5 kilometers from the foot of the hill to the temples.

Additional Resources

• Related: Mount Shatrunjaya (Jainpedia)
• Book: The Jains by Paul Dundas (2002)